Friday, March 29, 2013

Caught in a mosh of inner and external chaos, the Dancer either
surrenders or is destroyed. Sometimes such tempests are chosen; more
often, they choose us. Either way, we learn to abandon our usual sense
of control. If we cling too rigidly to our usual way of doing things, we
risk getting mulched by the storms that inevitably come.

If you choose to Dance with Abandon, embrace the sense of chaos that
comes with it. Ride it before it shatters you. In the Five Rhythms
practice cultivated by Gabrielle Roth, Chaos comes between the Staccato
force of directed energy and the Lyrical harmony where all previous
energies flow together. In order to achieve such harmony, therefore, the
Dancer must pass through Chaos, shape herself to it, and accept it as a
valid aspect of life’s Dance.

* * *

Initial very rough scribbles in my sketchbook for the concept.

Refined that

And further refined. Prepped for painting at this point.

Color rough in photoshop, just to get an idea of what direction I'm going to take the colors for the piece. Had a pretty solid vision in mind already, even at the initial brainstorm sketch phase. Wanted the satyr to be a really stand-out contrasting color from the rest of the scene.

Monday, March 18, 2013

When
Fear traps us in its razor-bladed hell, escape often seems impossible. Yet as
long as we’re alive, we’re never truly hopeless. Courage is our weapon in such
situations, and while we must eventually surrender to mortality, we can still
carve out a life worth remembering before we go.

Sword-dancing
turns the art of war into a spectacular skill. Sharp edges cut both ways, and a
little bloodshed is inevitable when learning how to use a blade. Still, a
person who’s determined (or desperate) enough to master such arts can weave a
glorious trail of steel and blood and fire in their wake. To do so, you must
learn to face terror on its own terms and make yourself an instrument of
change. Literally and symbolically, blades divide one state from another; where
one passes through, the landscape gets transformed. In the hands of someone who
knows how to use them, blades can cut new paths through apparent hopelessness,
lighting a way through the darkness of Fear.

* * *

Some of the sketches and in progress scans for this piece:

Initial brainstorm sketches.

Composite sketch pieced together in photoshop, from the rough brainstorming pieces.